This broadside, dated November 4, 1854, offers a reward for two runaway slaves from Greene County, Missouri. The slaves “Archa” and “John” belonged to James L. Alexander and John A. Miller. The owners offered a reward for the arrest and conviction of any white man who gave runaways free papers or aided them in their escape. Slaves were regarded as a valuable commodity in Civil War-period America. The loss of slave labor before and during the war forced slave-owning families to devote more of their time and energy to learning and performing domestic and farm chores.
Image Courtesy Greene County Archives and Records Center
